The Secret Weapon Great Pianists Share

Great pianists have a secret weapon. Now depending on their age, the secret weapon may no longer play an essential role, but rest assured, in the earliest years of their piano education the impressive development of most great pianists was aided by one especially important weapon…

Great Parents!

As with any generalization, there are exceptions to such a bold statement, but make no mistake… very few great pianists would be great without the support and guidance of great parents.

What Does It Take To Be A Great Piano Parent?

I was, and am, very fortunate to be blessed with not only great parents, but also great piano parents. Their actions as piano parents were integral to my success as a piano student. Below are 4 important elements that my made parents my secret weapon for success:

My Parents Called the Shots

My parents did not force me into taking piano lessons. However, once I had expressed interest and signed up, quitting piano lessons part-way through the year was not an option. And thank goodness it wasn’t! Because let’s be honest, kids are “right here, right now” kind of creatures and need the guidance of parents to keep them motivated… even if it means missing a play date, a trip to the beach, or a birthday party because of piano lessons.

At every year’s end, my parents always made the decision to re-register me in piano lessons based on their observations of my personal enjoyment. They did not ask me straight out “Do you want to take piano lessons again next year?” because depending on my mood, the weather, or whether or not I liked what we were having dinner, my answer could vary. So they made the decision, knowing that I was progressing as a pianist, I enjoyed playing piano most of the time, and I was reaping the academic and social benefits of piano lessons.

My Parents Made Piano Lessons a Priority

Knowing that we had made a commitment, piano lessons became as important as eating, sleeping, and brushing your teeth. Piano lessons and recitals were not to be missed. My parents knew that asking me to commit to piano lessons, meant that they had to make a commitment to making every lesson no matter how busy life would get… and trust me, it got busy!

My Parents Were Practice Partners

My piano was in the living room. And if my mom was not on the bench beside me she was certainly not far off. She knew exactly what piece I was supposed to be working on, she knew what measures were tripping me up, and most importantly, she knew that I loved playing for her. Rather than saying, “Did you practice for 15 minutes?”, my mom would say, “Your crescendo in the fourth measure was beautiful!” And it wasn’t just my mom who was involved. Even though my dad was not a piano player, he was always eager to witness a mini-concert from the couch and attended every single recital without fail. I knew without a doubt that my involvement in the piano was something both of my parents valued.

My Parents Loved My Piano Teacher

My parents chose my piano teacher very carefully. And in doing so, they found a kind, caring, and respected educator. By making that wise initial choice, they knew from that point on, they could trust her guidance as I developed as a musician. They always spoke highly of her, listened to her musical advice, and made sure I knew how lucky I was to have such a fantastic teacher. In doing so, they modeled the respect that I knew I must show for my wonderful piano teacher who would go on to play a huge role in my life and my career.

I’m going to finish this post of with an analogy, As many of you know, Trevor and I are far better educators than we are analogists (I think I just made up a word!… #analogists) but we keep trying, so, here we go… There are 3 pieces to a piano student pie; the piano student, the piano teacher, and the piano parents. If any one of these three pieces is missing you’ll have a messy dessert that will never win first prize at the county fair.

This is great! I was thinking the same thing….I would like to send this to my student’s parents in their newsletter and even link to it on my website. Would this be ok? I wish I had read this when my own kids were young (15+ yrs ago).

I started taking piano lessons @ age 5 for a short time then began again @ age 10 and took lessons until @ 19 with 2 years of college piano and 2 years of college organ. Now years later I am playing 4-hand piano duets with my first teacher. It is a joy and privilege to get together each week and play @ churches and share our music and love of piano.

Great post!! I certainly wouldn’t be where I am today musically without the encouragement of my parents. Neither of the ever had any formal music training, but despite that they encouraged me to stick with it, and I’m thankful for that! My most successful students are the ones whose parents are actively engaged in their musical studies. It makes such a HUGE difference!

Excellent post! As an educator, we must include training parents of our students as well to help all succeed in music making. Parents who have not studied an instrument, like my parents, may understand the ups and downs of keeping kids committed to a skill building endeavor. Other parents need some help realizing it. Thank you for valuable insight, and I look forward to every post of yours!

I think there is one more thing to add to the pie: a decent instrument. I was dismayed one time to be invited to a student’s home and discover that the piano was so uncared for: had obviously not been tuned in years. The poor student could be doing his best to do everything right and nothing would sound right! I also taught in a community centre for a while, on a battered old upright piano. In searching to see why certain keys could not be pressed down, my haul of debris included candy wrappers, safety pins, paper clips, cigarette butts, and multiplying dust bunnies! Students who practice on electronic instruments, when it comes to piano examinations, get remarks in their report about how they need to work on producing better tone– an impossibility on the instrument they practice on! An eager student with a good ear and a good teacher can be discouraged by an instrument that makes no beautiful sounds. And parents’ refusal to tune their piano because “it’s too expensive” is a false economy– they and their children lose much more in the long run than the cost of tuning the piano at least annually.

There was a time — a two-year stretch — that I did NOT enjoy piano lessons and wanted to quit. Unfortunately, this was in large part due to my piano teacher, who should not have been teaching. However, my parents took the risk and kept me in piano lessons, all the while keeping an eye out for a new teacher. Once they found a GOOD teacher and she took me on, my outlook on piano soared again. I don’t even want to imagine what would have happened or where I would be today if they had let me quit! I’m so grateful to them!

[…] I read several blogs each week for my own inspiration and education. The link I’m providing here is one I invite you to read that explores the importance of piano parents. Do not underestimate your role in the piano journey. Embrace it and lead your child to become a great pianist! Click on this link to read more: The Secret Weapon Great Pianists Share […]